The Mercer Island High School Marching Band has been selected to participate in the 130th Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day 2019. Photo courtesy of Craig Degginger/Mercer Island School District

MIHS Marching Band chosen for 2019 Rose Parade

The Mercer Island High School Marching Band has been selected to participate in the 130th Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California on New Year’s Day 2019.

This will be the fourth appearance for the Mercer Island Band, with the most recent in 2012.

Band Director Parker Bixby credited this and last year’s seniors’ leadership in producing the application that helped provide the group with this fantastic opportunity.

“As a band staff, we could not be prouder than to bring our Mercer Island brand of band onto the world’s stage. With a television viewership of over 50 million people and nearly one million on the route live, the Rose Parade is one of the largest band events in the world,” Bixby said.

Although the 2019 parade is more than 15 months away, the band will be busy preparing and fundraising. Bixby and others will attend the 2018 parade to ready themselves for 2019.

At nearly 300 members, the Mercer Island High School band program is one of the largest in the state. The Marching Band performs at all MIHS home football games during the year as well as the MIHS Homecoming Parade, which will be held this year at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 6 in downtown Mercer Island.

The band program’s annual fundraiser, “Band Together,” will be held Oct. 28 at the Mercer Island Community and Events Center.